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2011 Formula One season
|next = |Races = 19 |Drivers = 28 |Teams = 12 |Engine Suppliers = Cosworth, Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault |Tyre Suppliers = |image = |caption = Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull-Renault) - 392 points |image2 = |caption2 = Red Bull Racing - 650 points}}The 2011 Formula One season was the 62nd season of FIA Formula One motor racing. The original calendar for the 2011 Formula One World Championship consisted of twenty rounds, including the inaugural running of the Indian Grand Prix, before the cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Pirelli returned to the sport as tyre supplier for all teams, taking over from Bridgestone. Red Bull Racing was the reigning Constructors' Champion. Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel was the defending Drivers' Champion, one of five World Champions appearing on the grid. Vettel won his second World Championship at the 2011 Japanese Grand Prix, becoming the youngest driver, at 24 years and 98 days, to do so. Red Bull Racing won the Constructors' Championship. Pre-season Sebastian Vettel entered the season as World Drivers' Champion and Red Bull Racing as World Constructors' Champion. Rule changes *2011 saw the return of the 107% rule in qualifying. Under this arrangement, any driver who fails to set a time within 107% of the fastest lap in Q1 may not be permitted to take part in the race; for instance, if the fastest lap is 1 minute 40 seconds (100 seconds), a driver must set a time faster than 1 minute 47 seconds (107 seconds) in order to make it to the grid. However, if a driver who fails to set an appropriate lap time can show cause for his inclusion in the race – for example, if a driver failed to set a lap time in qualifying due to a mechanical fault, but had previously set a lap time within 107% of the pole-sitter's time in free practice – the stewards may allow that driver to take part in the race. *Sole tyre supplier Bridgestone announced that it would not renew its contract with Formula One at the end of the 2010 season, with Pirelli chosen as the tyre supplier for 2011 by the FIA World Motor Sport Council. The Pirelli logo on each tyre will be colour-coded to identify each compound and tread pattern being used. Cars will have a mandatory weight distribution to provide Pirelli with a technical specification, and preventing teams making changes to the internal configuration of their cars should they prove not to suit the cars. *KERS units will be optional for all teams, after not being utilised in 2010 following a team agreement banning the devices, and the minimum car weight increases from 620 kilograms (1,367 lb) to 640 kilograms (1,411 lb), compensating for the extra weight required. Gearboxes must also last for five races instead of four, with an additional gearbox available without penalty for the purposes of completing an event. *The Drag Reduction System (DRS), an adjustable rear wing designed to increase straight line speed, was introduced in the 2011 rules. The system is designed to aid overtaking by negating all downforce flowing over the rear wing. The rules dictate that the DRS is only available to a driver within one second of the car in front on a marked designated area of the circuit, after the first two laps of a race. Use of the DRS is unlimited in free practice and qualifying, but prohibited in wet conditions. The system is expected to offer drivers an additional 15 km/h (9.3 mph) when passing, and will deactivate when the driver first touches the brakes after using the rear wing. *The "F-duct" system developed by McLaren and copied by other teams was banned, as the system relying on drivers blocking a gap in the cockpit was judged unsafe. The maximum height of the diffuser will be cut from 175 millimetres (6.9 in) to 125 millimetres (4.9 in) and the double diffuser designs, introduced in the season, will be excluded, in order to reduce aerodynamic downforce and turbulent air. Banned with this are double exhaust-blown diffusers, which use exhaust gases re-routed over the diffuser to increase downforce, although single blown diffusers are still allowed. *Several smaller aerodynamic devices introduced for 2010 have also been banned, including aerodynamic wheel spokes, flexible front splitters designed to lower front ride height, and modifications to the monocoque that create a V-shaped channel running the length of the car's nose. The maximum aspect ratio of the "bladed" rollbar structure – pioneered by Mercedes to decrease the obstruction of air to the rear wing – has also been reduced. *The FIA has tightened its driving standards, moving to prevent overly aggressive driving and driving beyond the boundaries of the circuit to gain an advantage by implementing stricter penalties for drivers observed to be doing so. Drivers are limited in the number of blocking moves they can make on track, to allow easier overtaking. Pirelli Tyres.jpg|Pirelli became the sole tyre supplier KERS.jpg|the Kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) was re-introduced DRS.jpg|The Drag Reduction System (DRS) in action Driver changes *DAMS GP2 driver Jérôme d'Ambrosio replaced Lucas di Grassi at Virgin Racing, having previously driven for the team during Friday practice sessions at selected events in . Di Grassi did not have his contract with Virgin Racing renewed. *2010 GP2 Series champion Pastor Maldonado was signed by Williams after testing for the team in the young driver tests in Abu Dhabi. *Nico Hülkenberg was dropped by Williams on the eve of the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. After turning down offers from several teams, including HRT and Virgin, Hülkenberg joined Force India as test and reserve driver. As a part of his arrangement with the team, Hülkenberg will drive a VJM04 in the Friday morning free practice session of each Grand Prix. *DTM champion Paul di Resta replaced Vitantonio Liuzzi at Force India, having previously driven for the team during Friday practice sessions at selected events in 2010. *After being released from his contract with Force India one year in advance of its expiration, Vitantonio Liuzzi officially joined Hispania Racing as their second driver at the final test of the season, filling the last vacant racing seat on the grid. As a result of this, Hispania's part-time racing drivers Karun Chandhok, Christian Klien and Sakon Yamamoto were all unable to secure contracts to race. *Sakon Yamamoto moved from Hispania Racing as a full-time driver to become a test driver for Virgin Racing for the first three races after he was unable to secure a contract to continue racing with Hispania. *Narain Karthikeyan returned to Formula One with Hispania after last racing with Jordan Grand Prix in , which was run at the time by Hispania team principal Colin Kolles. *Bruno Senna left Hispania Racing after a single season. Comments made by team principal Colin Kolles suggested that the nephew of three-time World Champion Ayrton Senna had a strained relationship with the team. Senna was later confirmed to have joined Lotus Renault GP as a part of their test and reserve team. *Robert Kubica was injured while competing in the Ronde di Andora rally during the winter off-season, leaving him with multiple fractures to his arm, hand and leg. The nature of his injuries were serious enough to prevent him from starting the season, while the surgeon who operated on Kubica has said that his recovery could take up to an entire year. His former BMW Sauber team-mate Nick Heidfeld was later confirmed as his replacement at Lotus Renault GP. Team changes Calendar changes Testing Teams and Drivers The following teams and drivers competed in the 2011 Formula One World Championship. The FIA published a provisional entry list on 30 November 2010, which was revised on 2 December 2010. !rowspan=2| Ferrari |rowspan=2| 150° Italia |rowspan=2| Ferrari 056 |rowspan="2" align="center"| | 5 | Fernando Alonso | All |rowspan=2 |- | 6 | Felipe Massa | All |- |rowspan=2| Mercedes GP Petronas F1 Team !rowspan=2| Mercedes |rowspan=2| MGP W02 |rowspan=2| Mercedes FO 108Y |rowspan="2" align="center"| | 7 | Michael Schumacher | All |rowspan=2 |- | 8 | Nico Rosberg | All |- |rowspan=3| Lotus Renault GP !rowspan=3| Renault |rowspan=3| R31 |rowspan=3| Renault RS27-2011 |rowspan="3" align="center"| |rowspan=2| 9 | Nick Heidfeld | 1–11 |rowspan=3| Bruno Senna Romain Grosjean |- | Bruno Senna | 12–19 |- | 10 | Vitaly Petrov | All |- |rowspan=2| AT&T Williams !rowspan=2| Williams-Cosworth |rowspan=2| FW33 |rowspan=2| Cosworth CA2011K |rowspan="2" align="center"| | 11 | Rubens Barrichello | All |rowspan=2 |- | 12 | Pastor Maldonado | All |- |rowspan=2| Force India F1 Team !rowspan=2| Force India-Mercedes |rowspan=2| VJM04 |rowspan=2| Mercedes FO 108Y |rowspan="2" align="center"| | 14 | Adrian Sutil | All |rowspan=2| Nico Hülkenberg |- | 15 | Paul di Resta | All |- |rowspan=3| Sauber F1 Team !rowspan=3| Sauber-Ferrari |rowspan=3| C30 |rowspan=3| Ferrari 056 |rowspan="3" align="center"| | 16 | Kamui Kobayashi | All |rowspan=3 |- |rowspan=2| 17 | Sergio Pérez | 1–6, 8–19 |- | Pedro de la Rosa | 7 |- |rowspan=2| Scuderia Toro Rosso !rowspan=2| Toro Rosso-Ferrari |rowspan=2| STR6 |rowspan=2| Ferrari 056 |rowspan="2" align="center"| | 18 | Sébastien Buemi | All |rowspan=2| Daniel Ricciardo Jean-Éric Vergne |- | 19 | Jaime Alguersuari | All |- |rowspan=3| Team Lotus !rowspan=3| Lotus-Renault |rowspan=3| T128 |rowspan=3| Renault RS27-2011 |rowspan="3" align="center"| | 20 | Heikki Kovalainen | All |rowspan=3| Karun Chandhok Luiz Razia |- |rowspan=2| 21 | Jarno Trulli | 1–9, 11–19 |- | Karun Chandhok | 10 |- |rowspan=4| !rowspan=4| HRT-Cosworth |rowspan=4| F111 |rowspan=4| Cosworth CA2011 |rowspan="4" align="center"| |rowspan=2| 22 | Narain Karthikeyan | 1–8, 17 |rowspan=4| Narain Karthikeyan Jan Charouz |- | Daniel Ricciardo | 9–16, 18–19 |- |rowspan=2| 23 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | 1–16, 18–19 |- | Daniel Ricciardo | 17 |- |rowspan=2| Marussia Virgin Racing !rowspan=2| Virgin-Cosworth |rowspan=2| MVR-02 |rowspan=2| Cosworth CA2011 |rowspan="2" align="center"| | 24 | Timo Glock | All |rowspan=2| Robert Wickens |- | 25 | Jérôme d'Ambrosio | All |} Season calendar Season review Results and standings Grands Prix Drivers' standings Constructors' standings Category:Seasons Category:Formula One Seasons